Two top EPA officials have been named by President George W. Bush to serve as acting administrator and acting deputy administrator for the agency.
Marianne Lamont Horinko, who currently serves as assistant administrator for Solid Waste & Emergency Response (OSWER), will succeed Linda Fisher, the current acting administrator and former deputy administrator. Fisher will be leaving office on today.
Stephen Johnson, who currently serves as assistant administrator of the Office of Prevention, Pesticides and Toxic Substances (OPPTS), will serve as the agency's acting deputy administrator.
"I have been privileged to work with both of these individuals during their distinguished tenures at EPA," said Fisher. "As a team, Marianne Horinko and Steve Johnson will provide dedicated leadership for the agency in the coming months."
Before coming to EPA, Marianne Lamont Horinko was the former president of Clay Associates, Inc., a public policy firm devoted to hazardous waste issues and was project director for the National Sediments Dialogue, sponsored by the National Environmental Policy Institute (NEPI), as well as director of NEPI's "How Clean is Clean?" project.
Prior to joining the Bush Administration, Horinko served as attorney advisor to Don Clay, Environmental Protection Agency assistant administrator for Solid Waste and Emergency Response, from 1989 until 1993. Earlier in her career, Ms. Horinko worked as an attorney at Morgan, Lewis & Bockius from 1986 until 1990 and as a staff scientist at ENVIRON Corporation from 1983 until 1986.
A lifelong environmental professional, Horinko earned her B.S. at the University of Maryland, College Park and her J.D. at Georgetown University Law School. She lives in Virginia.
"When Marianne came back to work at the agency for a second time in the fall of 2001, I was thrilled. She spent her first few months at EPA in the unprecedented and unexpected role of assisting in environmental cleanup resulting from the September 11 attacks, as well as the U.S. Capitol's anthrax contamination. She has also proven her leadership in overseeing EPA's response to the Columbia Space Shuttle Disaster. Marianne has the strength, leadership, and character to be a very effective Acting Administrator," Fisher said.
Prior to Senate confirmation in December 2000, Stephen Johnson served as acting assistant administrator and principal deputy administrator, among other leadership positions, in OPPTS. Previously, Johnson served as deputy director of EPA's Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP), where he managed the nation's pesticide programs since May 1997. He also served as OPP's director of the Registration Division, director of the Field Operations Division, deputy director of OPP's Hazard Evaluation Division, and executive secretary of the Scientific Advisory Panel for the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act.
Prior to joining EPA, where he has been for two decades, Johnson served as the director of operations at Hazelton Laboratories Corporation and Litton Bionetics Inc. Johnson received his B.A. from Taylor University and his M.S. from George Washington University. He lives in Maryland.
"It has been a great honor to work with Steve, including our service together during my tenure as assistant administrator for OPPTS from 1989-1993. As a 20-year EPA veteran he is well known for his command of the issues and commitment to the Agency. His vast understanding of EPA and immense respect for its employees will make him a strong acting deputy administrator," Fisher concluded.
Source: EPA
